JULY: This Month in Black History

July 1: This Day in Black History

FEATURED: Carl Lewis 1899: The father of Black Gospel Music, Thomas A. Dorsey, was born. He passed away in 1993. He was 93 years old. 1911: Leona P. Thurman was born. She was the 1st black female attorney to practice law in Kansas City. She passed away in 1985. 1915: Grammy award winning blues musician Willie Dixon was born. He passed away in 1992 at age 76. 1924: Soloist Roland Hayes was named soloist with Boston Symphony Orchestra on this day. He was born in a Georgia cabin in 1887. He was the recipient of the Spingarn Medal for “so finely” interpreting the beauty of the Negro folk song. 1928: R&B, Rock&Roll musician, singer, songwriter and producer Bobby Day was born. He passed away in 1990 at age 60. 1947: Comedian & actress Shirley Hemphill was born. She died in 1999 at the age of 52 of renal failure. 1954: The Ink Spots began a stint at the Trocadero on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. 1957: A Philadelphia radio station with only 250 watts of power began repeat plays of the Tune Weavers’ new release, “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby.” By October it was #1. 1960: The Jesters, Ben E. King, Ruth Brown, Jimmy Jones, and the Olympics performed on one of disc jockey Jocko Henderson’s Jocko’s Rocketship Revue at New York’s Apollo Theater. 1961: Olympic track and field star and the winner of many gold medals, Carl Lewis was born. He turns 53 today. 1962: Actor Andre Braugher was born. He turns 53 today. 1970: Actor Henry Simmons was born. He turns 44 today. 1971: James Brown and his entire catalog of two decades worth of recordings were signed to Polydor Records. 1971: Missy Elliott was born. She is a rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actress. She turns 44 today. 1972: The Trammps entered the R&B hit list with the scintillating disco cover of the Coasters’ “Zing Went the Strings of My heart,” reaching #17. The group from Philadelphia formerly recorded under the name of the Volcanoes. 1976: Kenneth Gibson, mayor of Newark, became the first Black president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. 1976:Happy Birthday to rapper Plies who turns 38 today. 1978: Martha & the Vandellas reunited for the first time in ten years for a benefit concert for actor Will Geer in Santa Cruz, CA. 1983:Happy Birthday to Tanya Chisholm who turns 31 today. 1991: Clarence Thomas was nominated to the Supreme Court by President George Bush. 1992: Vanessa Williams and Dinah Washington’s goddaughter, Patti Austin, performed at a fund-raiser for the Hollywood women’s political Committee. Austin, a veteran performer since her teens, had over the years toured and performed on TV with such notables as Sammy Davis, Jr., Connie Stevens, Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack, Harry Belafonte, and Bobby Darin. 1998: The Dixie Hummingbirds, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Simon appeared on TV’s Late Show with David Letterman. 1998:Happy Birthday to actress Chloe Bailey who turns 16 today. 2005: Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter & record producer Luther Vandross passed away on this day. He was 54 years old.